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Becoming a patient with heart failure
D E Stull1, R Starling, G Haas
1Department of Sociology, The University of Akron, Ohio 44325-1905, USA.
Heart & Lung : the Journal of Critical Care
|July 17, 1999
Summary
Becoming a heart failure patient involves a gradual identity shift, encompassing crisis, diagnosis, adjustment, and acceptance. Understanding this process aids in developing supportive interventions for patients and families navigating heart failure.
Area of Science:
- Psychosocial aspects of chronic illness
- Patient identity formation
- Qualitative health research
Background:
- Heart failure significantly impacts patients' lives and identities.
- Existing research often overlooks the early psychosocial experiences of heart failure patients.
- Understanding patient adjustment is crucial for effective care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the process of becoming a heart failure patient.
- To understand how patients adjust to heart failure and its meaning in their lives.
- To identify key stages in heart failure patient identity formation.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study using grounded theory.
- In-depth interviews with 21 heart failure patients (LVEF ≤35%, NYHA class II-IV).
- Interviews conducted in an outpatient cardiology setting; data analyzed using thematic categorization.
Main Results:
- Identity formation in heart failure patients is a gradual process.
- Five phases identified: crisis, diagnosis, response, acceptance/adjustment, and moving forward.
- Patients actively construct meaning and adapt their identity throughout these phases.
Conclusions:
- Becoming a heart failure patient involves a dynamic process of identity negotiation.
- Early psychosocial experiences and meaning-making are critical.
- Findings suggest potential interventions to improve patient and family quality of life.